There is a big boxing match this weekend, one in which three heavyweight crowns are up for grabs. You didn't know this? My post is the first you've heard of it? Well, be not fearful of your masculinity (if you possess it), as I'm not sure I know anyone who knew there was a heavyweight fight this weekend. The decline of boxing as a major sport in the past twenty-five years has been precipitous and sad. The great heavyweight fights of the 70's, followed by the incredible middle/welterweight fights of the 80's, have always struck me as among the sporting world's grandest spectacles.
Where did boxing go? Killed by truly horrible spectacles like "Ultimate Fighting" and the like. I miss the elegance and the fury of boxing at the highest level. These new brands of fighting simply don't stack up.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
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2 comments:
How about the deaths of guys like Duk-Koo Kim or Joe Frazier who have died or were irreparably damaged due to the elegance of repeated blows over the course of long bout or career? The result of MMA violence may be more visible, but I'd argue traditional boxing's is more insidious.
I'm not sure MMA violence has been around long enough for us to have a full sense of its long-term impact on the body. That said, I don't think it really matters. The deaths and enfeeblement of a few boxers is unfortunate, but doesn't detract from the beauty of the sport. And lets face it; it is hardly boxing's medical reputation that seems to have killed it. It has died at the hands of a more violent opponent.
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